Vehicle wheel



R. R. MUNmzLL VEHICLE WHEEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April s. 192s Raf Rogers Haifa. l/ s Apn'l 7, 192s.

R, R, MuNoEl-L.

VEHICLE WHEEL Fiied April-9' 1923 ya?. DE

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Patented Apr. 7, 1925. Y

UNITED srn'rr-sv RALPH noon-ns MUNDELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

Application filed April 9, 1923. Serial No'.630,717.

10 all whom z'r may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH R. MUNDELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Vehicle lVheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part Oi' this specification.

rlhis invention relates to vehicle wheels and concerns itself primarily with the tire and rim construction. y

lt is an object 'of this invention to provide a wheel construction having a solid rubber tread or the like which is cushioned or resiliently supported, whereby the advantages of both a solid tire and a pneumatic tire are combined. f

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wheel having a pneumatic tube and a solid rubber tire or the like supported thereon.

It is broadly an object of this invention to provide a wheel having a resilient or flexible tire supported upon a contractible and expansible medium such as an air cushion.

llith these and other objects in view, which will becomemore apparent in the following description and disclosures in the drawings, this invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinalter. described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the dil'- l'crent views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a wheel constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the rim structure thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section through the rim structure of a modilied form of the invention. i

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the rim structure of another modiication ot' the invention. p

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 4 of a further modification of the invention.

Figure 6 is a section through' a wheel ernbodying the modification illustrated in Figure 5 with parts in elevation. l

Figure y7 is a section through a wheel embodying the modilication shown in Figure l with parts in elevation.

Figure 8 is an elevational View of one of the cheek plates involving this invention looking from the inner side thereof. l

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse section oi' a rim structure embodying Va still furthermodication ofthe invention.

. Figure l0 is a section-through a wheel embodying the modification shown in Figure 9, upon the line 10-10 ol'Fig. 9. n

In referring now `to `the drawings, there is illustrated a wheel having a resilient or flexible tread l which in the present instance consists of solid rubber. This tread surrounds a contractible and expansible element which allords a yielding cushion l'or the supported load. In the present instance, the rim structure embodies air cushion means in the form of one or more pneumatic or in- 'Hated tubes. A variety of different rim structures are illustrated which will now be described.

In the first form illustrated in Figure 2, a base ring 2 attached to the spokes of the wheel is fashioned for retaining a circular rubber shoe 3 of an inflated tube 4. For this purpose, the base ring 2 is provided with opposed grooves in itsouter surface formed by inwardly directed arcuate flanges 6 for receiving the beads of the shoe thereunder.

VThe flanges 6 of said ring are provided with a plurality ot' outwardly extending lugs 5, two being shown in the present instance, which are laterally opposite as shown in Figure 2 -tor apurpose to be later described. The outer circular periphery of the shoe 3 is slightly arcuate in a transverse plane and a cylindrical member. 7 having a corresponding inner arcuate periphery surrounds the shoe 3 and forms the `Outer periphery ot the structure for supporting the tread l. The tread 1 is secured upon the member 7 by means of a pair of lateral ring plates 8 which have outwardly flaring margins at their outer edges for embracing the sides of the tread l. These ring plates are bolted against the sides of the cylindrical member 7 by means of bolts 9 and they eX- tend substantially flush with the inner face CFI of the base ring 2. The adjacent faces ot these side or cheek plates 8 near their inner peripheral p rtions are provided with a pair oitx diametrically opposite grooves l0 shown more clearl7 in ldigure 8 for receiving the lugs 5. Ehe inner enos ot these o'rooves l0 terminate in limiting shoulders il which normalli7 lie some distance inside the lugs 5, with which they are intended to coact wnen the inner ring member 2 is accordingly shitted.v lhe grooves l() are consideiabl'i7 wider than the lugs v5 so that suilicient circumferential play is provided in cases where the wheel strilres a bump or obstruction. 'lo exclude the dust from the interior ot the structurev packing rings or glands l2 may be set in grooves in the lateral sidesol thering 2 to co-operate with the cheel plates 8 to seal the'interior ot' the structure'. lt will be apparent that the inner ring 2 can shift in Yany direction against the pneumatic cushion element on'account ot the slidable connection with the rings 8, and, sincethe slots l() are widerthan' the lugs 5, a certain anwuntotcreeping of the tire tread audits attached parts is possible.

ln the modili'edform shown in Fig. 3, the base ring 2a is provided with edge projections, the-inner suri'aces of which are at right angles to the base. 'lhe edges ot the tire shoe 8a, which is preferably made ot felt or asbestos in this instance, rest against these vprojections'and are anchored to the base ring-by the bands 18. Said projections are provided with lugs 5 that operate in grooves l0 inthe slidable check plates 8, as in the first form. ln this moditied torni, the shoe 3aM and inner tube la have a diiferent shape'than what is shown in the i'irst torm'; beingof a polygonalV oblong shape in cross section.V In this case the dust guards 'l2 are spring pressed against thecheelr plates by springs lll and the tire l rests upon a cylindrical member?a secured between the cheek plates Stbv bolts v9, the outer peripheral portionsof the cheekV platesembracing opposite sides-'of the tire as in the iirst itorm.

ln Fig-4, the outer ring -15 of the structure is `'provided with grooves 16 in which lugs l? on the outer periphery ot the shoe 3 are positioned to prevent undue creeping of the tire.- In this lorm, the shoe 3a and inner tube il are similar to the modiiicationshown in vFig. 3 and theyv are similarly retained on the base rino'. Additional sidecheek rings 18, preferably of rubber or the like, are screwed' to the side'plates 8, and a fabric filler 19 placed therebetween. The side plates are bolted toV the ring l5 "and are slidinglv mounted at their inner ends similar to the iirst t vo forms,

The -modiiication in :V comprises a structure very similar to the term shown in Fig. 3, with the exception that the pneumatic or cushion means is ditlerent. ln this outer cylind 1 tnereon b 2.3, three in t tions are i and the section s lugs 5 on said -p ojections which lit in the grooves l() or the side plates adjacent sides these sections are spaced apart suliiciently to form guidewavs tor receiving the inner circumferential margins oi partition rings 26 connected to the outer cylindrical member 22. Upon diametricallj)7 opposite sides, bridge pieces 27 span the spaces between the sections 23, 24C and 25, and the partition plates 26 are cut out to receive the bridge pieces 27, as indicated at 28 in lfig. l0. 'lii-e construction prevents undue creeping ot' the tire. rl`l1e partitiorrings have their inner circumterences spaced a slight distance 29 'l'rom the inner surface ot the sections to allow tor contraction ot the rim cushioning element. Each section 23, 2li and 25 supports an inner `tube la and an outer shoe 8 in a manner similar to that describedA with re'rerence to l? 3, the sections being bolted together by a bolt 2in.

lt will be noted that the pneumatic cushion means are coni-'inedbetween a pair oi? cylindrical concentric members, the inner one ot' which may be said to beyieldingly supported in every direction so that shocks and jars mav be absorbed, since it is mounted tor relative movement in every direction with respect to the outer member which supports the tire.

l am aware that numerous details ot construction magY be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles ot this invention, and l therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than Inecessitated the prior art.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln a wheel, 'm structure, comprising an inner cylindrical member, an outer cylindrical member, a pnuematic tube between said members, lateral ring plates' secured to one ot' said members, and lug and groove connections between said ring` plates and said other member.

2. in a wheel, a rim structure, comprising an inner cylindrical member, an outer cylindrical member, a pneumatic tube between said members, lateral ring plates secured to one of said members and having a plurality of grooves, and lugs on said other member engaging in said grooves.

3. In a wheel, a rim structure comprising an inner cylindrical member, an outer cylindrieal member, a pneumatic tube between said members, lateral ring plates secured to said outer member and having a plurality or' grooves, and lugs on said inner member engaged in said grooves.

l. In a wheel, a rim structure, comprising an inner cylindrical member, an outer eylindrical member, a ypneumatic tube between said members, lateral ring plates secured to one of said members, and lug and groove connections between said ring plates vand said other member, said lugs being narrower than said grooves to permit slight relative creeping movement.l

5. In a wheel, a rim structure, comprising an inner cylindrical member, an outer eylindrioal member, a pneumatic tube between said members, lateral ring plates secured on said outer member and having a plurality of grooves, and lugs on said inner member engaged in said grooves, said lugs being narrower than said grooves to permit slight relative 'creeping movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Dn. RALPH ROGERS MUNDELL.

Witnesses ELI CoMBs, J orrN V. KIRK. 

